Tag: irish

After reading a couple of books on red hair by female authors, I felt seriously misrepresented. Being redheads themselves, these females noted that men with red hair have gotten the short end of the stick and ended up on the negative side of what it means to be a redhead. They claimed that you don’t think of men when you think redhead and that redheaded guys are only related to Howdy Doody. Essentially us “Rufuses” are just dorks. Perhaps this is the view of popular culture, but is it what redheaded men are really like? Personally, I have always looked up to Thor the red-headed god of thunder. So I did a search on the internet to find out if there were other red-haired warriors out there. Here is pictorial proof to the contrary that the only strong, sexy redhead is a woman. I’m not sure who any of these guys are except for Shaun White. Howdy Doody? Whatever!!! I’m a berserker and proud of it!

If you believe the Vikings series on the History Channel, it would appear that the majority of the Vikings were blondes. In Marvel’s Thor, he is blonde. The truth of the matter is that the god of thunder as well of a fair share of Vikings had red hair. According to Professor Donna Heddle, director of the University of the Highlands and Islands’ Centre for Nordic Studies, red hair was a cultural marker to the travels of the Vikings found in such places as Scotland and Russia. Now some would argue that red hair comes from the Celtics as well.

In my case, I have red hair from my Norwegian father, unless my dad is the mailman, and red hair from my German mother. Neither of my parents have red hair. My German grandmother had beautiful red curly locks. I have never met my dad’s parents but his kids from his first marriage to an Italian woman produced 2 kids with red hair. Yes I was treated like a red-haired stepchild. So if we are all to thank the Vikings for our red hair, I guess they journeyed to Italy because it takes red-haired genes from both parents to make redhead babies. Plus my wife’s great-grandfather, Angelo, who was Italian had striking red hair. He was a wild man too, wooing his future wife away from the convent by writing her love letters from his own blood during the second world war. Vikings were known to attack convents of ‘brides of Christ.’ I stole my woman from the Sister Theresa convent too.

Eric the Red, the fierce red-haired Viking who discovered Greenland about AD 982. NB: Scan of small illustration.

When redheads are described, usually words of energy come to mind, like fiery, hot-tempered and flaming. Picture Vikings raiding seacoast villages and establishing trade routes throughout Europe. Even the country name, Russia, where Vikings sailed on the Volga River, means ‘to row.’ The Vikings traveled far and wide, from North America to the Mediterranean. Ancient redheads are known to have traveled worldwide, evidenced in the discovery of red-haired mummies found everywhere, including South America and China.

Studies have shown that redheads have a propensity for hyperactivity. An Israeli psychiatrist, Dr Michael Bar, reported that redheaded children are three to four times more likely than others to develop hyperactivity. He said, “it’s possible that the assumed national characteristics of certain ethnic groups, like the adventurousness of the Vikings and the temperament of the Irish, are connected to the high frequency of redheads among them.” Another doctor, a pediatrician who specializes in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, Lendon Smith from Portland, Oregon, theorizes that an amino acid, tyrosine, that regulates pigmentation, is related to this hyperactive behavior. Smith also noted that these children are usually deficient in calcium and magnesium.

Astrologers claim there is a connection between the red planet Mars and the fiery nature of people with red hair. Redheads are notorious for their well-known hot-tempered, high strung and sensitive natures. In astrology, if the planet Mars is in your charts, it has the affect of placing fiery, competitive and almost explosive tendencies into your behavior. Research astrologers Judith Hill and Jacalyn Thompson made a discovery in their study of 500 redheads that makes a connection to Mars and redheads.

So if you are a redhead with many interests, ie ‘too many irons in the fire,’ don’t worry, it’s a redhead thing. I, myself, have moved over 30 times from Minnesota to Montana to California.

Gingers of the World, Unite!

This is the motto of a red-haired festival in a location that might surprise: Russia. The Udmurtia ethnic nation claims to have the most red hair outside Ireland.

At first thought, the idea of redheads uniting around the world was a little perplexing. What would be the purpose? Personally, would I want to be around a bunch of people like myself? I guess I relish being unique in the world. In fact it might be a little scary, the thought that our red hair might all catch on fire or a big fight might break out. Perhaps take over the world!

Redhead Picnic in Dunbar West Virginia in September 2018

A Russian proverb states, “There was never a saint with red hair”, meaning all red-heads are prone to evil tempers and dissolute ways. In fact, one of the most famous Irish saints, Brigid, was a red-head.

It all began with Brid, the goddess of fire, patroness of hearth and home, smiths and forges, healers and herbs, poets and language. Honored in ancient Ireland, it was claimed that at birth, a column of fire reached from her red curls up into heaven. Many girls were named Brid, or Brigid, in her honor.

One such girl was Saint Brigid. Born in 435 AD to a chieftain and a slave girl, and raised by Druids, she was beautiful and iron-willed. She refused to be married off, instead choosing to follow the revolutionary teachings of St Patrick and embracing Christianity.

She worked many miracles, from controlling the weather to improving the yield of crops and livestock, and even outwitted Irish Chieftains. She travelled far and wide, eventually building an Abbey in Kildare where she welcomed travelers with legendary hospitality. She was fond of ale, and said to be the best brewer in all of Ireland! She also kept a magic red-eared cow that gave the most and best milk in the land.

Brigid’s feast day is still celebrated on February 1st, the old feast of the goddess Brid. On that day it is said Brigid travels through Ireland with her magic cow, blessing those who remember and honor their sacred roots.

Redheads across the world have begun invasion, from the Uk, Ireland, Germany, USA, Australia and the Netherlands

Witness as they prepare for battle

For more than a thousand years, it has been feeding Northern Ireland. The reddish purple seaweed known as dulse is a secret staple of the Irish diet, and has even been called the epitome of Irish food! Mineral and protein rich, and a traditional peasant food, dulse kept the Irish alive during the potato famine. In the 7th and 8th c, Irish law stated that any traveler should be offered a serving of dulse.

Growing like long reddish hair clinging to the sea rocks, dulse is pulled up by hand during low tide, stored in caves, and sun-dried on the cliffs. Considered by many to be the most nutritional food in the world, “the holy grail of seafood”, it is loaded with iron, magnesium and potassium, and greatly helps weight loss. Sweet when fresh, salty and smoky when toasted, dulse can be added to almost any dish, and even incorporated into homemade butter. Seaweed teas and baths were used to cure everything from colds to skin rashes.

After seeing so many redheads here in Missoula, I knew I had moved to the right place. I am not sure what draws people with red hair to this beautiful valley in the mountains but here we are anyways. There have been a large Irish immigration to the area including the nearby city of Butte which boasts to have had the greatest number of immigrants from Ireland to the USA during the copper mine days. In addition, I quite often meet gingers that have moved here from my home state of Minnesota where based on my ancestry can be Irish, German or Scandinavian-like Red-haired Vikings. My goal is to organize a redhead festival of Western Montana. Thanks for your help!

The Vikings were known for their red hair and probably are responsible for spreading the red hair gene all over Europe. The Viking God Thor was known to possess those red curly locks, yes Marvel is wrong, he is not blonde. There is an argument to where red hair came from, such as from the Vikings, Celts, Irish or Scottish. Being that the red hair gene is recessive, who will ever know. I mean they call the redhead stepchild for a reason- because no one knows where they came from. I, myself come from parents who are German and mostly Norwegian. Neither had red hair. Maybe I was mailman’s kid or switched at birth. So I could be from Celtic or Viking.

Researchers claim all redheads come from one redhead. The problem that I have until someone explains it me is this: I thought you need two people that possessed the redhead gene to create a redhead. So, how did we come from one redhead? Frankly, I think I have a Neanderthal in me.

Gingers of the World, Unite!

This is the motto of a red-haired festival in a location that might surprise: Russia. The Udmurtia ethnic nation claims to have the most red hair outside Ireland.

At first thought, the idea of redheads uniting around the world was a little perplexing. What would be the purpose? Personally, would I want to be around a bunch of people like myself? I guess I relish being unique in the world. In fact it might be a little scary, the thought that our red hair might all catch on fire or a big fight might break out. Perhaps take over the world!

Redheads are Fiery!

Eric the Red, the fierce red-haired Viking who discovered Greenland about AD 982. NB: Scan of small illustration.

When redheads are described, usually words of energy come to mind, like fiery, hot-tempered and flaming. Picture Vikings raiding seacoast villages and establishing trade routes throughout Europe. Even the country name, Russia, where Vikings sailed on the Volga River, means ‘to row.’ The Vikings traveled far and wide, from North America to the Mediterranean. Ancient redheads are known to have traveled worldwide, evidenced in the discovery of red-haired mummies found everywhere, including South America and China.

Studies have shown that redheads have a propensity for hyperactivity. An Israeli psychiatrist, Dr Michael Bar, reported that redheaded children are three to four times more likely than others to develop hyperactivity. He said, “it’s possible that the assumed national characteristics of certain ethnic groups, like the adventurousness of the Vikings and the temperament of the Irish, are connected to the high frequency of redheads among them.”

Redheads are from Mars?

Astrologers claim there is a connection between the red planet Mars and the fiery nature of people with red hair. Redheads are notorious for their well-known hot-tempered, high strung and sensitive natures. In astrology, if the planet Mars is in your charts, it has the affect of placing fiery, competitive and almost explosive tendencies into your behavior.

So if you are a redhead with many interests, ie ‘too many irons in the fire,’ don’t worry, it’s a redhead thing.